Japan ministry asks Line, Yahoo operator to shed Naver influence

TOKYO -- Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on Tuesday asked LY Corp., the operator of the popular chat app Line and internet portal Yahoo Japan, to review its relationship with South Korean tech giant Naver.

The comments were part of a 10-page document outlining the ministry's administrative guidance against LY Corp. after a series of personal information leaks prompted an investigation into its cybersecurity operations. LY Corp. is majority-owned by A Holdings, a 50-50 joint venture between Naver and Japan's SoftBank Corp., a telecommunications company affiliated with the tech conglomerate SoftBank Group.